Isak: ‘finally a normal pre-season’ after Liverpool win

Isak draws a line under last season

Liverpool's win over Ipswich is in the books. The news that travelled afterwards was Alexander Isak speaking, on the record, about the injury that defined his previous campaign.

Fabrizio Romano posted Isak’s words on Friday night: “This year finally I had a normal pre-season. Last year was not easy. It was a long injury, a difficult season in general.” Isak added that he had been thinking about a good World Cup and a proper pre-season. “Last season now behind me, and it’s good.”

Those comments landed after Liverpool secured a first win under Andoni Iraola. The official Premier League account highlighted Isak’s finishing and Cody Gakpo’s two assists in the same fixture. The Athletic reported separately that Gakpo, who had been linked with a departure during the window, stayed at Anfield and now has four goal involvements this season — one goal and three assists.

Why it matters

Squad availability is the first thing supporters check. Isak did not announce a new injury. He described the opposite: a completed pre-season after a long layoff last year, and a line drawn under that campaign. Romano also posted Gakpo on the new era under Iraola: “Hopefully we will do some many beautiful things together! I am happy.”

None of that is a predicted lineup for the next Premier League round. It is player-sourced status after a completed match. Broadcast details for Liverpool’s next fixture depend on your local rights holder. The confirmed facts are Isak’s recovery comments, Gakpo remaining at the club, and Liverpool’s first win of the Iraola era.

The takeaway is simple. The striker who missed a large part of last season has now spoken about a normal pre-season and put that year behind him, on the same night the Premier League account logged him among the scorers and Gakpo among the creators. That is the squad news attached to Liverpool’s result — not a forecast of the next 90 minutes.